Beckham County, OK - Deaths: William Dennis Payne, 1914
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Submitted by: belle@bigcountry.net  (Evelyn Long)

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************************************************eckham CO. OK - William Dennis Payne murdered, 1914
       
No name for newspaper given
Friday July 24, 1914
 
                      W.D. Payne, Murdered
 
     With a bullet hole in his heart, the body of W.D. Payne was
found Sunday morning about 2 am in a field near Sayre by a
searching party.  Daniel & Robert Campbell are now being held under
arrest while officers with a warrant are looking for Tom Goldsmith.
     Payne was about 68 yrs old and had been missing since last
Thursday.  Some time ago Payne agreed to transfer his farm to the
Campbell brothers, the consideration to be their taking care of
Payne during the remainder of his life.  A short time ago Goldsmith
cause Payne to be arrested on a charge of having stolen a harness,
and Payne was in Sayre Thursday afternoon for the purpose of making
bond to appear in court Friday.  When he failed to appear in court
at the proper time a searching party was organized.  Saturday
afternoon officers arrested the Campbell brothers but failed to
locate Goldsmith.
     Payne's body when found was in a badly decomposed condition,
apparently having lain for several days in a field one and a half
miles north of Payne's home.
     Later reports state that Goldsmith returned home and phoned
for the officers to come and get him.  After two days and nights
searching, the parties followed a shepherd dog to Mr. Payne's
body.  The dog scented the body.
     The ears and a portion of the face had been eaten away and the
body was badly decomposed when found.
     Mr. Payne, we so learn, had promised a deed to his place or
made a deed to his place for the parties implicated with their
promise to give him $800 and a home with them as long as he lived. 
However, this is a rumor.
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(William Dennis Payne is buried in the Carter Cem, Beckham Co OK. 
In the plot with him is Ella Tyler 1863-1934.  Wm.D.'s son, Charlie
married Lou Tyler, this may be one of her relatives.  Wm.D.'s wife,
Olive Dunlap Payne is not buried at Carter Cem.)
                                   **********
The Sayre Standard, Thursday July 23, 1914
            
               Murder Charge Follows Farmers Death
 
     At 10 am this morning the preliminary hearing began before
County Judge Gibson and will probably continue thru tomorrow.  The
courtroom was filled to its utmost capacity.  About a dozen
witnesses will probably be examined.
     Judge W.E. Tomme has been engaged to assist the prosecution
and the firm of Hendrix & Tracy will defend Goldsmith and
Campbell's.
    
Sayre Standard, Thursday July 30, 1914
           
                       Goldsmith Hearing Continued
 
     The preliminary hearing before Judge Gibson of the charge
against T.T. Goldsmith for the murder of W.D. Payne which started
last Thursday and continued thru Friday of last week was adjourned
until tomorrow, Friday, at the request of the defense.
     Owing to the absence of several witnesses for the defense, the
case has not developed into anything definite with the exception of
release from jail of the Campbell brothers who were arrested in
connection with the killing.  Evidence sufficient to incriminate
them could not be found.  The examination of Goldsmith will
probably be completed by Saturday.
 
Thursday, August 6, 1914
(Court Notes) T.T. Goldsmith, charged with murder, was arraigned
Wednesday but entered no plea of either guilty or innocent.  The
case will likely come up for trial in September.
 
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16 Sep 1920 Sayre Standard
(note, this is 6 yrs later)
     Judge Hendrix was at Mangum last Friday appearing before Judge
Brown in habeas corpus proceedings for the release of Bob Campbell
charged with conspiring with T.T. Goldsmith and others in the
murder of W.D. Payne.  Judge Brown denied the application of the
defense for Campbell's release, but permitted him to give bond in
the sum of $5,000, which his attorneys announce he will be able to
make within the next few days.
 
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